Monday, September 29, 2008

Solar Stocks Clobbered; No ITC Extension Before Election

One point that Mr. Savitz's interviewee doesn't mention is that among the Chinese solars are some that are not cash flow positive. Raising capital in this environment is going to be tough, a couple may become insolvent, be forced into an inopportune merger or have to scale back expansion plans. Trina won't be among the first or second groups* but may be in the third.
From Tech Trader Daily:

Solar stocks are getting an especially ugly drubbing on a very nasty for stocks overall, on news that Congress is unlikely to approve an extension to solar energy investment tax credits before the November election, and possibly not until a new president is sworn in early next year.

To review: the Senate last week approved a bill which included an 8-year extension of the 30% solar tax credit; the House approved a bill which did the same thing, but included various other provisions the Senate didn’t want. But it now appears that the current House session is going to end without any progress on reconciling the two measures.

According to CQPolitics.com, House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat, “criticized what he called the Senate’s attempt to legislate by blunt force.”>>>MORE

*From
Trina Solar sees 2009 sales doubling (TSL)
...To fuel the expansion, Trina Solar's capital expenditure is expected to rise to $250 million in 2009 from $200 million this year and reach $350 million in 2010, with funding coming mostly from internal resources, he said.

"Our cash flow is enough to fund our expansion until 2009. I believe our operating cash flow will increase further in 2010, enough to supply our expansion needs," said Gao, who is also the firm's chairman....MORE

See also: the second link in
Trina Solar Close To Signing Its First US Integrator Deals (TSL)